1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a galenic composition, useful for alleviating the aftereffects due to an excessive intake of ethanol, commonly referred to as alcohol. More particularly, the present invention is concerned with such treatment using pueraria flower, phaseoli radiati semen, pinelliae tuber and fructose as the primary components of the galenic composition and administering such composition prior to ingesting ethanol.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
The consumption of alcohol is rapidly increasing as modern economic circumstances improve and leisure time increases. After drinking, alcohol is rapidly absorbed from the gastro-intestinal tract and distributed uniformly in the body. The absorbed alcohol is mainly, i.e. about 90% metabolized in the liver. Excess alcohol can induce various toxic effects in the human body. Short term toxic effects include confused consciousness, ataxia, headache, vomiting, facial flushing, tachycardia, palpitation, and the like. Long term effects from a history of excessive alcohol use include cirrhosis, alcohol liver disease, neurologic, gastrointestinal and others known to the medical practitioner. The present invention is directed to short term toxic effects.
Today these undesirable effects are treated by utilizing a synthetic medicine or a popular remedy based on certain crude drugs or on foodstuffs. Although the use of synthetic medicine can alleviate the aftereffects of drinking alcohol, they may themselves cause undesirable side effects.
The popular remedy which may be most typically mentioned includes ginseng extract/honey combination, fresh juice of pueraria root and the like. Such popular remedies show no side effects but are hard to utilize since the crude drugs or foodstuffs should be made each time the remedy is needed.
The present inventors have extensively investigated the compositions which can help hangover, based on the popular remedy, especially the composition utilizing crude drugs, which can conveniently alleviate the aftereffects of excessive alcohol intake without manifesting side effects.
The effectiveness and safety of crude drugs have been recognized only from long experience. However, in practice, only some crude drugs have been scientifically recognized in the efficacy. Recently, since serious problems caused by side effects and resistance of various synthetic medicines have been raised, the development of medicines, having no side effects, based on natural substances, especially herb medicines has been strongly required. Thus, the study on the efficacy and active ingredient of important crude drug has been actively under way at home and abroad.
The present inventors have extensively searched for herb medicines useful for removing alcohol toxicity through animal experiments and have analyzed the biochemical changes obtained from the administration of a galenic composition containing certain herb medicines in animal and human being to identify that this galenic composition can greatly reduce the alcohol level in the blood. Now, the present invention has been completed on the basis of this experimental result.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to decrease blood concentration of alcohol by providing a composition comprising an amount of fructose and an aqueous extract of pueraria flower, phaseoli radiati semen and pinelliae tuber sufficient to increase, in vivo, metabolic activity of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) enzymes and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, adjuvant or excipient therefor.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a composition which can be easily administered prior to ingesting ethanol.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method which treats, i.e. alleviates, or at least attenuates, the short term aftereffects of drinking ethanol.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a composition which when orally administered to a person who expects to ingest ethanol in about thirty minutes, increases the metabolic activity of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) enzymes in the liver of such person such that the short term aftereffects of ethanol are treated, i.e., alleviated, or at least attenuated.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for decreasing blood ethanol concentration comprising administering to a mammal prior to ethanol ingestion an amount of a composition comprising fructose and an aqueous extract of pueraria flower, phaseoli rediati semen and pinelliae tuber sufficient to increase the metabolic activity of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) enzymes in the liver of the mammal administered said composition prior to ingesting alcohol.
The preceding objects should be construed as merely presenting a few of the more pertinent features and applications. of the invention. Many other beneficial results can be obtained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to both the Summary of the Invention and the Detailed Description, below, which describe the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims considered in conjunction with the accompanying tables and tests.